Wrist injury sidelines Ducks' Blake three months

Veteran winger Jason Blake, who suffered a lacerated tendon just above his left wrist Friday night in the Ducks' 1-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks, is expected to be out for three months, according to club officials.

Blake was injured midway through the third period when his wrist was lacerated by the skate blade of Sharks defenseman Brent Burns on a faceoff play in the offensive zone. The two were tangled up and Blake's arm was on the ice when Burns made contact with his skate as they battled for the loose puck.

Blake is scheduled to undergo surgery on the wrist Monday at Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles with the procedure performed by Dr. David Hay. He received sutures late Friday night at UCI Medical Center and was released from the hospital early Saturday morning.

"Jason is resting at home and doing very well," Ducks GM Bob Murray said. "This was an unfortunate, freak accident, but we are pleased to hear that Jason is expected to make a full and complete recovery.

"He's a real character person and teammate, and we look forward to having him back in our lineup when he's ready."

Burns briefly met up with Blake just as the forward was being put into an ambulance and expressed his concern.

“It doesn't help when you see his family going, ‘Where's daddy? Where's daddy going?',” Burns told the San Jose Mercury News on Saturday.

Burns described how the unfortunate play happened.

“It was a weird, freak play – the battle in the faceoff and I didn't really know he fell right away," he said. "He was kind of behind me, the puck was there and I was trying to kick the puck up and I think he was trying to get the puck. It was just a battle and I didn't even know he was on the ground.”

Sharks beat writer David Pollak of the Mercury News asked Burns if he knew right away if his skate made contact with Blake.

“I wasn't really sure," Burns said. "I thought I might have done it, but I kicked it up and passed it up and was jumping into the play. There was a quick whistle and I looked back and saw the blood and then I knew I must have done it. I felt something weird, but you feel that all the time when you get caught on something.

“You feel bad. You never want to have that happen. I rushed out and saw him just before he went into the ambulance and as I walked back, he's got his family there with his kids. You never want that.

"It doesn't matter if you're playing against a team or whatever. At that point it's just a game and there's things other than playing that you see. You feel pretty bad. What can you do?"

The 38-year-old Blake is in the final year of a five-year, $20-million contract that he signed in the summer of 2007 with Toronto. Blake was acquired from the Maple Leafs along with goalie Vesa Toskala on Jan. 31, 2010 for netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Blake is making $3 million this season and carries a $4 million salary cap hit. It is possible the Ducks could consider putting the winger on long term injury reserve, which would allow them to free up more money under the salary cap.

Largely playing on the dubbed Masterton Line with Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, Blake had 16 goals and 16 assists in 76 games last season and added three more goals in the first-round playoff series against Nashville.

"What can you say?" Ducks coach Randy Carlyle asked aloud. "Things like that happen and it's unfortunate that it happened to him in only the third game into the season. A severe cut to a critical area. We just wish him the best here. Get healthy as quickly as possible and rejoin our team."

The Ducks do have left wing Matt Beleskey, who could slide into the lineup as he is nearing a return from off-season shoulder surgery, but it is likely that they will need to recall a forward from their minor-league affiliate in Syracuse.

"If it is an opportunity, then I plan to take full advantage of it," Beleskey said. "I wish the best for Blakey. That's a scary thing that happened. If the opportunity rises, I'll definitely be ready to go."

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